Automatic brake mechanism for spool-winding machines.



A. SUNDH.

- v AUTOMATIC BRAKE MEGHANISM FOR SPOOL WINDING MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED APILB, 190s 1,077,537 5. Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

. INVE/VTUK 2*158858; M 'BY ATTORNEY chinesof which the following is aspecifi- E srarns n anion.

AUGUST SUNDH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATORCOMPA'NY,

OF JERSEY CITY, NEN JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1908. Serial No. 425,914.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, AUGUsT SUNDH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Brake Mechanismfor Spool-lVinding Macation.

My Invention relates to spool winding mechanism adapted for windlngwire,

thread or other material, and more specifically it relates to animproved form of brake and tension device, one of the objectsof theinvention being to provide a device of this kind which willautomatically maintain a substantially uniform tension on the materialbeing wound.

A further object of the invention isto provide ,a brake or retardingdevice for the supply spool or reel, and means operated by the tensionof the winding material itself for automatically regulating said deviceto maintain a substantially uniform tension without the use of complexmechanism.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novelcombinations of elements being set forth in the claims.

Referring. to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front sectional elevation ofthe brakedevice; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thesame, and showing thesupply spool carried thereby; and Fig. 3 is a view of the entire windingmechanism, including a motor and Winding spool.

The "brake device comprises a hollow drum-shaped body A having upper andlower sections 1 and 2 removably secured togther by bolts 3. A shaft 4extends through the-center of the body A and is rotatably mounted inbearings 5 formed on the oody A. One end of the shaft 4 is extendedbeyond the body A toreceive a spool or reel 6 from which is supplied thewind ing material 7 This material may be wire, thread, tape, insulatedwire, or other material. The spool. 6 is secured in position by means*of a cone 8 fixed to the shaft and a. cone 9 slidable on the shaft andclamped against the spool by a nut 10. Abrake putley 11 is fixed to theshaft 4: within the body A. The brake shoes 12, 12' are each pivoted tothe lower ends of short rock-arms 13, 13' keyed at their upper ends tothe rock- ,shafts14, 14'. The shafts-"1km" are journaled in lugs 15, 15formed on the inner surfaces of the body A. The ends of each sli-aft 14and 14 project beyond'the body A and on these projecting ends are keyedthe yokes 16 of brake arms 17, 17. ,Pivoted to the brake arms areinwardly extending arms 18, each provided with a stop or lug 19. Thesestops 19 are adapted to engage the inner surfaces of lugs 20 formed onthe body A, and hold the brake arms in their inner position. Compressionsprings 21 and 21 are held in position by stops 22 on the "brake armsand stops 23 on thumbscrews 24 adjustable in the lugs 20. Within thebody A is placed a quantity of oil or other lubricating material 25 inwhich the brake pulley is partially immersed so that it is keptcontinually lubricated. This lubricant serves to make the braking actionmuch smoother, and permits an adjustment through a much greater range ofpressures than without such lubricant. It also serves to, dissipate theheat generated at the braking surfaces.

In Fig. 3 is shown an electric motor M, on the shaft 26 of which ismounted a spool 27 to receive the win-ding material 7. The spool 27 maybe mounted on the motor'shaft in the same manner that the spool 6 issecured to the shaft 4. The motor is supplied with a brake comprising abrake pulley 2S and a brake strap 29 secured at one end to the motorframe or other stationary support and having its other end connected tothe inner end of a lever 30 pivoted hat 31. n

suppl ingennent to "the motor and causing it to operate.

. Secured to the upper end of the brake arm 17 .is an upwardly extendingarm 40, preferably-made of ela ticor yielding material such as springsteel. This arm carries a direction sheave 41 over which the material 7passes as it is wound onto the spool 27.

In operation, the parts will assume substantially the positions shown inFig. 3. As

the motor rotates thespool 27 to Patented Nov, 4, i913.

35 empty than when it is full.

40 the decreased leverage.

50 supply spool.

5 may be adjusted to apply a practically con- ,stant braking effectthrough the. brake shoe 12. The pressure of the brake shoe 12, however,will vary with the tension on the wire or cord 7, and will beproportional to the difference between the inward pull of the wire 7 andthe outward pressure of the spring 21. If the tension on the-wire 7 isincreased, this diil'erence is reduced, and therefore the pressure ofthe brake shoe re- 15 .duced. It will be observed that as the material 7is wound onto the spool 27 the diameter of the supply spoolis graduallyreduced. Now, if a constant pressure of the brake shoes on the brakepulley is maintained, the

go tension on the cord or wire 7 will increase in proportion to thedecrease in diameter of the supply spool, so that the tension will begreatly increased by the time the supply spool is exhausted. But, asjust described,

the pressure of the brake shoes is not kept constant, as any increasedtension on the cord or wire 7 reduces the pressure of the brake shoe 12which in turn relieves the tension on the cord or wire. By a proper soproportionment of parts, any desired degree of sensitiveness maybeobtained. That is, the parts may be adjusted so that the tension on thecord or wire 7 is but little greater when the supply spool is nearly Thesheave 41 may he adjustable on the rod 4C0, and by moving it downwardlythe inward pull on the brake arm 17, due to the tension on the cord orwire 7 will be decreased, owing to This will permit a more powerfulapplication of the brake shoe 12, which will in turn increase thetension on the winding material. At the same time, the operation of thetension on the winding material as a regulating device will be lesssensitive as the sheave 41 is lowered, owing to the decreased leverage,so that the increase in tension will be more nearly proportional to thedecrease in diameter of the Either brake arm 17 or 17' may be held ininoperative position by pulling its arm 18 inwardly and placing thecatch 19 behind the stop. Regulation .of tension may be secured byholding the brake shoe 12 out of contactwith the brake pulley 11- andpermitting the pressure of the shoe 12 thereon to be automaticallyvaried as required. The thumb-screws 24: provide for the adjustment ofthe tension on the springs 21 and 21. By making the arm 40 elastic, thetension on the winding material is kept even, and any slack that mayoccur when the motor is stopped is taken up.

Although an electric motor is here shown as the means for rotating thespool 6, any other suitable source of power might be employed.

I. do not wish to be limited to the precise construction described, asvarious changes in the details of construction and arrangement of partsmight obvliously be made within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. In brake mechanism, the combination with a supply member,of a brake wheel connected thereto, brake shoes, means for applying thebrake shoes, means for independently locking either brake shoe in aninoperative position, and means to apply tension to the material fromthe supply member in opposition to the tension on one of the brakeshoes.

2. In winding mechanism, the combination with a rotary supply member, ofmeans to draw winding material from said member, a brake pulley, a brakelever, a brake shoe, a spring to apply the brake shoe, a pulley carriedby the brake lever and over which the winding material passes andapplies tension to the brake lever in opposition to the brake spring,said pulley being adjustable longitudinally of said lever to vary thesaid opposing tension.

3. In winding mechanism, the combination of a supply spool, a brakewheel, brake shoes, adjustable means for holding one of the brake shoeson the brake wheel with a yielding pressure, means to lock said brakeshoes out of contact with the brake wheel, and means for automaticallyvarying the pressure of, the other brake shoe in' response to variationsin the tension of the supply material.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. 1

AUGUST s enna.

Witnesses:

OHAB'M. Nissan, ALFRED C. BECHET.

1. Copies ctthfia patent may he obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the commissioner of ratents, Wasgton, n. o."

